Doctors charged over organ trafficking

Five South African doctors have been charged with performing illegal kidney transplants for rich Israelis using organs bought from poor Brazilians and Romanians, newspapers say.

Also charged was Richard Friedland, head of South Africa's top private hospital group Netcare, and the St Augustine Hospital in Durban where prosecutors say 109 illegal operations were conducted between 2001 and 2003, according to The Star newspaper.

Israeli citizens in need of kidney transplants would be brought to South Africa for transplants at St Augustine's Hospital. They paid kidney suppliers for these operations," read the charge sheet, according to The Times newspaper.

The kidneys "were initially sourced from Israeli citizens, but later Romanian and Brazilian citizens were recruited as their kidneys were obtainable at much lower cost than those of the Israeli suppliers," it said.

Prosecutors say Israelis had been paid about $20,000 for their kidneys, while the Brazilians and Romanians had been paid an average of $6,000.

Five years ago South African police tried to bring a case against Israeli man Ilan Perry, claimed to be the kingpin behind the syndicate.

The Times says that case was never brought forward and now Mr Perry has turned state witness.

Netcare denies any wrongdoing and says it will defend itself against the charges in court.